Oh Albus
by Errol's Feather
Summary: A story that takes a look at Albus and Minerva's realtionship since they first met and up to her death.


**_DISCLAIMER: _**I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money from it, all the characters belong to J.K Rowling.

"_**Oh Albus."**_

Young Minerva McGonagall was late for her first transfiguration class at Hogwarts and that didn't look too good for her. She ran through the hallway while holding a pile of the books she needed.

Unlucky for her, just as she reached the classroom and went inside, she ended up stumbling over the threshold, making her lose all her books, and making fool of herself in front of the whole class.

"Are you okay Miss McGonagall?" she heard professor Dumbledore ask.

"Oh Albus," she stuttered. Not managing to get another word out as she quickly gathered her books and sat down by her desk.

"Just don't make it a habit to be late," he said and smiled at her.

"I won't I promise sir," Minerva said, rather ashamed.

"Will you please be quiet," Albus said, getting the class to return to their work instead of looking at the young girl. She just sighed opening her transfiguration book, looking up at her much older professor that was trying to teach her the art of transfiguration. She didn't know then that she later on would do just that herself. At the moment she had more than enough trying to pay attention and noting down valuable notes in her book.

* * *

><p>"Oh Albus, you shouldn't have," said Minerva happily as she smiled at him, before she slowly started to unwrap the present he had just given her.<p>

"Of course I should, Minerva, it's after all your birthday," he said and smiled warmly back at her. Thrilled by her enthusiasm.

"But I already told you you didn't have to buy me anything," she said as she removed the last piece of the paper, only to find a book inside it.

"Sense and Sensibility, how did you know I wanted this?" she asked, as she had never before mentioned it.

"Well I came over your bookshelves the other day, and I noticed it was the only one by the author you were missing. I just assumed you wanted that one as well," said Albus.

"I did, you want me to read it out for you?" she asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"Why not," he said, letting a hand stroke over his auburn beard. It wasn't really a type of book he would normally read, but as it was important to her he really didn't mind.

Minerva nodded and opened the book, only to read, "The family of Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park…"

As she continued to read Albus settled a bit better in her couch, watching her as she pulled some of the dark strands of hair behind one of her ears. He could see the happiness in her teal green eyes for every word she was reading. Happiness rare to be found these days because of the war they now were fighting. A war that was destroying so much around them. A war that was making it hard for them to find time for each other. They were not in a romantic relationship; still they were as close as two friends could be making it seem that they were.

He smiled over at the dark haired woman sitting on the floor opposite him, making her smile back before continuing to read.

* * *

><p>"Oh Albus," was all Minerva could get out as he lifted her up from the cold stone floor. She was wounded badly; he could see lashes from the open wounds in her black dress, or the remains of it that was. Her otherwise beautiful face was beaten black and blue, only to have ben colored grey from the dirt on the floor after. Her hands scraped and her lip was cut.<p>

She barely had the power to cling on to him at all; Grindelwald had taken his tools on her.

"Minerva," Albus whispered, somehow managing to let his had stroke over her frail body.

"Please…just take me away Albus," she whispered, barely being able to look up at him with weak eyes.

"I will, just try to rest," he whispered, not being able to stop the tear that was running down his cheek and onto hers, while Apparating away from her torture chamber.

* * *

><p>As soon as Albus had managed to get her to her room at Hogwarts he started to tend to the wounds on her back. Minerva had no power to even push him off, even if it hurt her while he was cleaning her wounds, so she just lay there whimpering while he was tending to her.<p>

"Minerva," Albus said in a serious tone after he had put on some bandages on her back.

"Yes," she said, looking up at him, her eyes were hardly sparkling as they normally would; instead they showed traces of pain and sadness.

"I must ask you, did he hurt you in any way except for what I can see?" he asked her.

Minerva didn't answer to this in words; she just quietly nodded and looked away. He sighed before saying, "I will leave you to rest, and then check in on you later."

"No please stay, I do not wish to be alone," she whispered, making him sit down on the side of her bed, as she closed her eyes to get some rest. Finally she was safe.

* * *

><p>"Mister Warner, you are once again late," said Minerva with a sigh, looking at the young student in front of her.<p>

"I'm sorry professor McGonagall, but you see what happened was…" he started.

"I do not wish to hear your excuse, sit down and be quiet," she said in a firm tone.

"Now if you all would try the spell that will turn these feathers into a candle stake," she said, showing them just how to do it, making them all go, "wow."

Minerva smiled as the young professor slowly walked around the tables inspecting her students' works. It was one of her favorite things to do as it made her feel so at ease.

"Professor," one of the young students spoke.

"Yes Master Archer," she said, looking at the blonde boy in front of her.

"Can you please show me again, as I'm having some difficulties," he spoke, looking at his teacher with puzzled eyes.

"I will," she said with a sigh, showing him just how it was to be done, before turning the candle stake back into a feather.

"Thanks you are really good," he said, looking at her with impressed eyes.

"Thank you, and it just takes practice, I couldn't always do this," she said, thinking back on when she first attended Hogwarts.

"I find that hard to believe," he said and tried a couple of more times.

Minerva looked a bit amused at them before she said, "I think that is all we have time for today, see you again in a couple of days."

The students quickly started to pack their stuff together, as she removed what was on the blackboard.

She sighed heavily as she sank down on the chair behind the desk; the last five months had been very difficult on her. In the beginning after the rescue she had found it very difficult to go back to work. She was simply too depressed. Now however she was slowly finding her way back with good help from Albus and her students.

"Minerva, are you okay?" she heard Albus; he was standing in the doorway to the classroom.

"Oh Albus, you shouldn't worry so much, I'm fine," she said and smiled at him.

"I'm glad to hear that and you know I will always worry about you," he said and smiled back at her.

"I know and I really do appreciate it," she said, before getting up, walking over to give him a friendly peck on the cheek, before leaving the classroom. Albus just shook his head and smiled after her, glad that the good old McGonagall was back.

* * *

><p>"Oh Albus, I'm so nervous," said Minerva, biting her lower lip, looking at his with insecure eyes.<p>

"Minerva, you need to calm down, you'll be fine," he said, carefully placing his arms on her shoulders to try to calm her.

"But what if I say something wrong, or trip in this dress while walking down the aisle?" she asked, breaking free and slowly started to walk back and forth in the little room they were in.

"You won't you just have to repeat what the priest says," said Albus calmly, it was very rare that he saw his friend this nervous.

"Repeat what he says…I suppose I can do that," she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"I know you can, and you know you shouldn't worry because no matter what happens William loves you and he won't leave your side," said Albus, smiling at her.

"I know he does and I really love him Albus, he's just so wonderful in every way," she said as she thought so. In fact she knew from the first time she met William, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She could even picture them settling and have children.

"He is and you deserve nothing less," said Albus as he couldn't think for a better match for Minerva than William, they seemed to complete each other in every way. They were both equal wizarding wise and intellectual, and he had seldom seen a couple so much in love as the two of them.

"Awww that is sweet of you to say, but Albus do I look okay?" she asked, looking in the mirror, trying to get some of her dark strands away from her face. She adjusted her veil a little more and turned to look upon him once more.

"You look absolutely stunning," he said, as the younger woman in front of him simply looked breathtaking.

Minerva blushed shyly before saying, "Thank you Albus, will you go tell father that we are ready?"

"I will, I'll meet you outside," he said and looked at her once more before leaving her.

"Just repeat…" she said, looking once more in the mirror, smiling brightly. She was so extremely happy; finally she was marrying the man of her dreams. A man she loved more than she ever thought she could love anyone and that made her heart beat faster. A man that was even with flaws perfect for her. Minerva took another deep breath before leaving the room thinking that in one moment she would be Mrs. William Mackinnon.

* * *

><p>"Nooooo!" Minerva screamed out, sinking down on the cold floor next to her dead husband. Sadly it was too late and nothing could be done.<p>

"William, please," she begged, shaking him, knowing that this time he would and could not wake up.

Behind her she heard vicious laughter from Voldemort and his followers, they had just taken out her husband and now they were looking at her.

Minerva however didn't care; she felt that the air was knocked out of her, and that her heart had been ripped out and stumped on. Because there in her arms, lay the man that she loved so much, the man she had spent the last twenty years being married to. The man she planned to grow old together with. He would be forever gone thanks to this stupid war.

Minerva hated it and she hated him, the man that had killed her beloved William. Ignoring their laughter, she dried her tears and on shaky voice got up, turning the wand towards him and saying, "I'll make you regret this if it is the last thing I do."

"Ohhh would you look at that the old lady want to try to defeat me," Voldemort taunted her as the death eaters laughed even harder.

Minerva rolled her eyes and said, "Expelleriamus."

Voldemort gasped as the wand fell out of his reach, as he was trying to get to it, Minerva again pointed her wand at him saying, "Levicorpus."

Before anyone could say anything, Voldemort was hanging by his feet into thin air, dangling.

He looked annoyed at Minerva as he snarled, "Would someone give me my wand?"

One of the death eaters gave it to him as Minerva cast another spell making him fall down and toss in pain. That didn't last for long as he pointed his wand at her and said, "Sectumsepra."

Minerva curled up in pain, screaming out as he again pointed his wand at her saying, "Imperio."

Everyone gasped as they looked at Minerva and Voldemort, wondering what his next move would be.

In her mind Minerva was battling herself, she knew she would have to obey him, but every bone in her body was telling her not to do so no matter consequence.

"Kneel before me," Voldemort demanded, making the one older lady do just that before he demanded her to give him her wand. As she did this everything in her yelled out "No," yet she couldn't bring herself to not obey.

What struck Voldemort when he did this, was that the older woman showed no signs of being afraid or go against him like his other victims, in fact she showed no emotions at all.

"Leave us," he demanded the death eaters.

"But," one of them protested.

"If I were to humiliate her I prefer no one is present," he said in a tone so cold that they didn't dare to object. He wouldn't mind and audience, but he figured that the old lady in front of him deserved better.

Minerva looked at him, even under the spell she knew what he was capable off, and she did not look forward to any of it.

"Tom," Minerva spoke tiredly. She was tired of this war, tired of fighting and seeing people she cared deeply about die before her very eyes.

"Minerva, would you please sit?" he demanded making her do so.

Voldemort looked at the old frail woman opposite him. Her dark hair had now gotten strands of grey in it due to aging and worries. He face was slowly starting to get more wrinkles and her eyes had gotten a lighter color over the years. He remembered how her eyes had sparkled almost like emeralds when they went to school together, but now all he could see was pain and sorrow in her teal green eyes.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, even her voice sounded tired, not firm as it otherwise would have been.

"I want you to suffer as you have never suffered before," he said, giving her a vicious grin.

"You have already taken all I care about, you have won Tom, isn't that enough," old McGonagall said.

"You are to call me Lord Voldemort," he demanded, again forcing her to kneel on the dirty ground in front of him.

Minerva looked at him with fury in her eyes, trying to again get up again, trying to fight his curse. Not wanting to obey his demand, not wanting to obey him, and not wanting to be under his spell.

"I will not surrender to anyone Tom," she snarled at him, somehow managing to get up.

Voldemort looked at her with shocked eyes as she reached for her wand and pointed it against her, refusing to let him beat her. Still being somewhat under his curse she was shivering by the effort it took to do this.

"Kneel," he said.

"No," she said, refusing with all her might, trying to stand her ground against him.

She continued to go against her until she crashed on the ground hardly, panting, hardly being able to stand on all four. She could hear him laugh and say something, but she didn't capture what. She could feel his hand caress near her neck, not have any power left to slap him away. Unable to disobey she had to lie down on her back feeling how he undressed her.

It was then she out of nowhere heard Albus firm voice say, "Enough Tom, enough."

As her eyes fell shut from exhaustion she could hear the two men hiss against each other, she just hoped that when she woke up Albus had taken her far away from him.

* * *

><p>When Minerva again opened her eyes, she was in her bed at Hogwarts. Her and William's bed, alone…It was when she realized he was no longer sleep next to her, her tears again started to fall. She reached for his pillow and hugged it tightly.<p>

"Oh Minerva," she heard Albus from the door.

"Oh Albus, he is gone and I couldn't save him," Minerva whispered.

Albus carefully too her into his strong arms and soothed her not saying a word. He knew that there was nothing he could say to take the pain away. The best thing he at the moment could do was to be there for her and that was what he intended to do.

* * *

><p>"Oh Albus," Minerva whispered, silent tears were running down her cheeks as she was watching him in the coffin. He was dead. In fact he had died one week earlier, meaning that she had lost another man she had loved deeply because of Tom Riddle.<p>

Albus had been there for her for what seemed a lifetime, he had loved and supported her and she him, in fact she found it hard to go on without him, yet she had to. She knew that.

Seeing him there made her think of the husband she had once lost, the love of her life. She had never been able to forget him. And now this.

It was simply too much. All because of a stupid, pointless war.

"I can't go on without you, without William," she whispered, leaning against his coffin, shivering lightly as she cried. She suddenly felt so alone, and so very lost. It felt like she had no one left. All she had loved so dearly had been taken from her and now she was standing there alone, not knowing if she was going to continue what he started or give up.

As she slowly managed to gather herself, after she had dried her tears, she whispered, "I will go on Albus, for you and for my William, you two deserve that. They will not break me."

And with that she left his tomb to go back to Hogwarts, her home.

* * *

><p>"Oh Albus," said Minerva, looking at his picture hanging on the wall in his old office. Now it was her office. She was now the headmistress of Hogwarts, feared by some students and loved by more.<p>

She looked at the portrait in the frame and smiled at him. She still missed him a lot, but the happy memories helped her through the pain.

As she looked back over the long life she had lived, her only regret was that she had no children. Then again in many ways her students had become so. She loved to watch them grow from the moment they first walked in at Hogwarts to the moment they left. Some she had kept in touch with, others she had not, there were simply too many.

It was then she got interrupted by a knock on the door and answered, "Come in."

"Headmistress," Neville Longbottom greeted her.

"Neville, what can I do for you?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I am having trouble with this young student of mine and I was wondering if you could look into it," he said, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

"What is the matter and what is the student's name?" Minerva wanted to know.

"Her name is Hermione MacArthur and she has been late for her classes all week which isn't like her," said Neville.

"Hmmm I agree, I will look into the matter at once," said Minerva, as she knew it was not at all like it for the young Huffelpuff girl to be late at anything.

"Thank you headmistress," he said and bowed before leaving her.

"So what do you think Albus?" Minerva asked his portrait.

"Maybe boy trouble?" he suggested.

"Maybe, I have to check on her, I will be back later," she said with a sigh, slowly getting up. The last thing she did before leaving her office was to put her now grey hair up in a knot. Her signature look. On her later days she did however prefer to have it loose whenever she was alone. The portrait of Albus looked after her smiling for a second before his face again turned serious like the rest.

* * *

><p>Minerva McGonagall was in bed, she had been so for the last week. The last month she had become very ill and now she didn't even manage to get out of bed, nor did she desire to do so. The old lady knew that her time had come to pass on, yet this didn't seem to bother her.<p>

She had after all lived a long life, and even though all of the memories were not happy, most of them were. She smiled as she thought back on some of them.

She could feel that her body was close to giving in, her mind spite her age was still clear and she was still very beautiful with the white hair, lying around her head.

She sighed looking vaguely over at her nightstand seeing a picture of her and William, even after his death it had remained. It seemed like ages ago, then again maybe it was.

She gasped when she suddenly saw Albus Dumbledore in her room. He looked at her smiling as he said, "It has been a while…"

"Yes too long," she said with a sigh.

"So are you ready to come with me?" he asked her.

"Is William there?" she required.

"Him and a lot of others," Dumbledore answered truthfully.

"Then I am ready as my work here is done," she said, slowly somehow managing to get up and walking with him towards a bright light. She knew it was the right thing to do. It was her time to leave them all behind and again join Albus and the man she loved so dearly, the man she had longed for all these years, her beloved William.

* * *

><p>Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)<p> 


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